I’m coming back to Nigeria even without invitation – Eric Benét

What did it feel like the first time you got the call inviting you to perform in Nigeria?It is an honour for me to be a part of the first Calabar International Jazz Festival. I saw some incredible artistes perform and I was really glad to be a part of it all. When you are […]

What did it feel like the first time you got the call inviting you to perform in Nigeria?
It is an honour for me to be a part of the first Calabar International Jazz Festival. I saw some incredible artistes perform and I was really glad to be a part of it all.
When you are a little boy and they walk you and you are fantasizing about being in the music industry, for me one of the things I most passionately dreamed about was traveling the places I had never been before. Meet people who had a different culture and lifestyle from what I have. I loved to be able to travel to those places and make music for those people.
For me, this was another dream fulfilled being to a new place and being so warmly and lovingly received and having people and my fans knowing my song and music. It’s like a dream come true.
I think every African-American back home, we have always felt like this is our place and the need to get back here to like find some kind of centre within our soul. That’s what it felt like to me and always feels like coming back. I’ve been to other African countries and it is always so emotional for me.
This is your first time in Nigeria. How did you perceive the reactions you got from fans singing along, as you sang some of your songs?
That was really surprising and it felt great. It is always a wonderful surprise when people in places that you have never been before, know your music and want to hear some of your stuff… I felt great.
What do you think about Nigerian musicians as you have experienced…
It was ‘crazy’. I mean Asa, Darey and the others. The band was incredible. Unfortunately we just arrived today so we didn’t get a chance to hear the artistes who performed the day before.
You’ve been on the music scene for a while. What makes you tick and what has kept you going?
The way I’ve been able to sustain my career for a couple of decades now is that I never really try to assimilate into any genre or style. I’m a child of the 70s and I just love that era of music. I think it is why I have been able to sustain for a couple of decades because I wasn’t out there just trying to jump on whatever was hot or whatever was happening for the moment.
My advice would be to just stay true to yourself. Stay real to whatever you like, whatever your passion is and keep developing it instead of trying to conform to something else.
Apart from being invited to participate at this event, have you previously heard Nigerian music or seen Nigerian artistes perform?
I honestly couldn’t say that I have and I’m a bit ashamed of this. Being in the United States one can sometimes be engrossed in my own little bubble. Sometimes you try to break out of that bubble and check out what’s going on with the rest of the world. But coming here has made me want to educate myself and hear more of the Nigerian artistes.
Are you willing to collaborate with any Nigerian act?
Not only would I be willing to, I’m really looking forward to it. I’m really looking forward to it happening.
Your ‘A Day in the Life’ album received a lot of commercial and critical success. Would you say it was because it was mainstream, slightly different from your usual?
I think my endeavour for the album was to make a commercial record and I think to some degree I was successful with that. It was a commercial album but at the same time, not compromising what I do. I think once I was able to accomplish that, my subsequent albums after that I just wanted to make music almost like from not a businessman’s point of view but from a musician’s point of view.
I have achieved some success and a lot of critical acclaim but for me it is not about how many records I sell, it’s about being able to make the music that has stamina and can stand the test of time.
Sometimes when you are trying to make something that is very, very contemporary and commercial, it might be very successful for the moment but it might not resonate decades later.
Between American and Nigerian artistes, there’s a lot of collaboration going on. Is that something you are looking forward to, and with anyone in particular?
Already, tonight, Asa and I were just like vibing on each other. I really look forward to getting in the studio with her and making some magic happen.
You had a remake of Alex Carre’s ‘Too close’. You both do not exactly have the same style/ what was the experience like for you?
I like pushing the envelope. I like doing things that are unexpected. On my current album I have a remix of my single, ‘News for you’. It is a remix with 2 Chainz. A lot of people would not expect that to happen. I like to push my envelope and do things that people don’t see coming.
Alex Carre’s thing was another one. I heard the song, I liked it and I was singing it around the house. And I thought, it will be cool if I just went into the studio and did my own little version of the song.
Would you come back to Nigeria if you were invited again?
First of all, let me let you know that whether you invite me or not, I’m definitely coming back. I’ve only been here two days and everything from the weather to how beautiful the landscape of the city is to the warmth of the people is something that I just want to come and experience again and again, with my family.
If not music, what would you be doing?
I’d probably be writing, a creative writer, author, or some kind of story teller or a movie director. But definitely something that has to do with storytelling. I feel my music has always been about trying to communicate a story of passion, love and growth. That’s what my music has meant for me. So if I wasn’t doing this I’d still be telling stories.